


The Games we Play

by eveshka



Series: Tales of the Dawn King [32]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 09:53:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11666742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eveshka/pseuds/eveshka
Summary: Rating: GWarnings: NoneCharacters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus AmicitiaTime Period: Aftermath of AltissiaLocation: Altissia





	The Games we Play

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: G  
> Warnings: None  
> Characters: Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum, Gladiolus Amicitia  
> Time Period: Aftermath of Altissia  
> Location: Altissia

Altissia.

Leviathan.

Ardyn.

Lunafreya.

_Ignis_.

 

The laundry list of failures sat on Noctis’ plate in the form of potatoes, zucchini, and a carrot. Said carrot had been officially named Ardyn, and Noctis was busy stabbing it with his fork over and over as he mentally walked the list again. And again. And once more, to ensure that his failure burned themselves into his brain, never to be forgotten. Peaceful sleep evaded him, and now to be confronted with vegetables… it was almost more than he could bear.

 

Altissia.

Leviathan.

Ardyn.

“Noct.”

Lunafreya.

“Noct.”

_Ignis_.

“Noctis.”

 

He froze, fork tines embedded in carrot mash, and lifted his eyes guiltily from the plate that he hadn’t been seeing to his unseeing advisor. “Sorry.” He wasn’t. It was simply something to say, to acknowledge Ignis had spoken.

“What are you stabbing?”

The question was innocent enough, given the bandages still on Ignis’ face, but somehow it seemed entirely driven and personal. Accusatory, even, and Noctis sighed and answered. “Ardyn. Okay, the carrot.I don’t like carrots and I like Ardyn even less, but since I can’t stab Ardyn myself, this carrot will have to do.”

“And when, pray tell, do you anticipate eating it?” Ignis asked, his voice ever patient.

Noctis knew that tone. He was certain that Ignis had cultivated it about the same time Noctis had stood in his chair at dinner with his father and proclaimed vegetables terrible and that the cook should be ashamed of herself. “I… wasn’t?”

“You must and you will. Food is quite scarce at the moment, and this was what Weskham was able to secure and bring. With his help, I was able to make this enough of a meal for the four of us. Prompto, bless him, took most of the carrots for himself.”

Noctis looked from the carrot to Ignis, and then back to the carrot, which had grown even more accusing. “You… did this? Even…”

“I may be unable to see, Noctis, but I assure you that I can still function. Time alone will attend to the healing, and that goes for both of us. But if you don’t eat, you cannot heal.”

“Carrots are good for the eyes, right?”

“One slice of carrot won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of things, Noct. Eat.”

Noctis moved the fork to the zucchini, stabbed it, and raised it to his mouth. It had to be better than the tofu, right? He held his breath as the vegetable passed his lips, and then closed his teeth on the fork, pulling the tines free and letting the vegetable sit on his tongue. He’d named this one Altissia.

It made a squeaking sound when he chewed it. “Is it…” he chewed it to the side of his mouth and tried again. “Is it supposed to squeak?”

Ignis worked his jaw, and Noctis wondered if his advisor was trying not to laugh at him. “Ah, the zucchini. When steamed, they can have an effect that is similar to a squeak. Don’t talk with your mouth full.”

Noctis swallowed, eyed the plate of vegetables, and looked back at Ignis. “I don’t suppose there’s anything I could put on this stuff? Ketchup? Hot sauce?” Prompto had taught him that almost anything could be edible with enough hot sauce, even vegetable pizza.

“I assure you that if we had any, Prompto would be hoarding it. Now eat your vegetables, Noct.”

 

Leviathan.

Ardyn.

Lunafreya.

_Ignis_.

The fork tines skidded across the plate. Six potatoes, three zucchini, and a carrot. He’d counted, rearranged, stabbed and mushed. He stabbed another zucchini, stuffed it in his mouth and held his breath while he chewed. This time, when he swallowed, he chased it with water that tasted of metal. “How does Prompto even eat this stuff?”

“Quickly, and without tasting it, as far as I can tell. Noct don’t even try-”

 

But Ignis might as well have told the seas to stop churning. Noctis shoveled the two zucchini and the offensive carrot into his mouth, swallowing without so much as chewing, then washed the lot of it down with more water. Only the potatoes were left, and those weren’t quite so bad.

Ignis sighed, and Noct looked at him with feigned innocence, even though his advisor couldn’t see it. “I will entreat upon you to at least chew the potatoes, lest you choke.”

“The potatoes are okay. I’d rather they be fried, but If I have to…”

“Indeed.” Ignis replied, folding his hands over his knee and waiting.

“Fine,” Noctis sighed with a little more drama than he needed to, allowing the familiar anti-vegetable banter to ease them into a false sense of comfort. “I’ll eat. You don’t have to babysit me, Specs. I’m just going to end up falling asleep to nightmares again.”

“I am simply enjoying your company, Noct, and I will do what I can to guard your dreams.” Ignis countered, and Noctis almost smiled at the old phrase.

“And here I thought it was only my good looks that kept you around, ‘cause that’s about all I’ve got.” Noctis quipped, then stuffed a potato into his mouth in horror at what he’d said.

“And you will be a sight for sore eyes once the bandages have been removed, no doubt.” Ignis snarked back, and Noctis had to fight to keep from spitting potato all over himself.

“Man, only you can be blinded and still crack jokes about it.” Noctis shoved another potato into his mouth and chewed.

“Indeed, can you imagine if Prompto were in my shoes? We’d never hear the end of it.” Ignis’ voice was a touch too airy, and Noctis watched him hard while he swallowed.

“If Prompto were in your shoes, all we’d eat was salads. And I don’t want to think about cup noodles, so let’s just leave it there, huh?” Noctis shoved the last potato in his mouth and dropped the fork to the plate. “There.” The word was muffled around the potato, and Ignis sighed.

“Barbarian. I have taught you nothing. Give me the plate and I will leave you to rest.” Ignis rose, and extended his left hand for the plate, while his right gripped the cane.

Noctis lifted the plate to Ignis’ hand, but didn’t release it right away. “Come back? Rest with me?”

“Noct, I-” Ignis sighed and tugged the plate. “As you wish.”

Noctis released the plate and lay back in the bed to wait for Ignis to return, but he was so very weary and the moment he was alone, the pull of the world lessened. He had just enough time to wonder if Ignis had put something in his water before he fell asleep.

 

Outside the room, Ignis leaned against the wall and sighed as Prompto took the plate and Gladio patted his shoulder. The prince needed to sleep, and the doctor had promised the medication would grant him dreamless peace. “Was that the right thing to do?”

“He’s gotta sleep sometime, as do you. Now get back in there and rest. We’ll take care of things.” Gladio replied, nudging Ignis back towards Noctis’ room.

Ignis moved back into the room and settled himself in the chair beside the sleeping prince, taking vigil and leaving the rest of it up to the Six.

**Author's Note:**

> #Ignoctweek
> 
> @ignoctweek Day Two Timed Prompt: Noctis eats his vegetables


End file.
